Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (7).pdf/24

 24 Comical Tranfactions of Lothian Tom. ‘ again?’ ‘ I never promifed, nor never in- ‘ tended it at all, my Lord; for what is gi- ‘ to the poor, is given gratis; and I ‘ appeal to this whole court, that whatever ‘ pence any of you have given to the poor, ‘ that you look not for any of it back a- ‘ gain.’ Then Tom was freed at the bar, and the butchers loft and were laughed at. After the court, Tom and the lawyer had a hearty bottle, and at parting, the lawyer faid, ‘ Now mind Tom, and fend me in the ‘ calf to-morrow.’ ‘ O yes,’ fays Tom,‘ but ‘ you muft firft fend me out forty fhillings ‘ for it.’ ‘ What,’ fays the lawyer, ‘ did you ‘ not promife me it, and a ftone of butter ‘ to make it ready with, for gaining your ‘ plea?’ ‘But,’ fays Tom,‘ Did you not tell ‘ me, that the only point of the law was to ‘ deny ? and you cannot prove it: So I’ll ‘ fell my calf to them that will give moft for ‘ it; and if you have learned me law, I have ‘ learned you rogury to your experience; fo ‘ take this as a reward, for helping me to ‘ cheat the butchers, and now I think I’m ‘ even with you both.’ And this was all the lawyer got of Tom.

FINIS.

GLASGOW, PRINTED by J. and M. ROBERTSON, Saltmarket, 1800.